Refining apparatus



March 14? 1939.

B. CLAYTON ET AL REFINING APPARATUS original Filed Aug. 14, 19:53

SHOM/m36 Patented Mar. 14, 1939 v1mi-Timm APPARATUS clayton, Home, -renwaiter n. p ,Herrick LosAngeles, Henry M. Stadt, Glendale,

Edif., and Benjamin H. Thurman, Bronxvilla N'. Y., assignors to Refining, Inc., Reno, Nev., a

corporation of Nevada oramai application August 14, less, serial No.

385,130. Divided and this application November 8, 1937, Serial No. 173,523. Renewed Jan- Ilary 16, 1939. 1933 In Great Britain March 25,

1 2 claims. (ci. sv-lz) The invention relates to the refining of glyceride oils. The term glyceride o' is used in a general sense to include oils of vegetable or animal origin, including the sh oils.

The term raw oil as-used hereinafter is intended to mean a glyceride oil containing impurities. In general the Word impurities as used hereinafter is intended to include not only fatty acids (having the general chemical formula CnHznCOOH), but also other suspended or dissolved impurities that can be acted upon by a suitable reagent.

It is Well known that raw oil may be treated with various alkaline reagents to produce neutralization. For example, aqueous solutions of caustic soda, sodium carbonate, and other substances are Well known to be useful for this purpose and the word reagent when used liereinafter is intended to include all substances which have been so used for the rening of raw oil.

The word refining is intended to mean the process of neutralization of raw oils to producea commercial oil. A commercial oil is one that is suiiiciently free from fatty acids or other impurities to be readily marketable. Such commercial oils are not necessarily Water whi and after being treated as described herein may be subjected to additional treatment to improve their'color. v

In the rening of raw oils certain reaction products, including, for example, soap stock, are produced, the reaction products being hereinafter called foots, this term at the present time being commonly used in the art.

It is old in the art to rene raw oils with reagents to produce foots and to remove the foots from the oils 4to produce commercial oils. This is commonly done at the present time by kettle refining. In kettle rening a batch of raw oil is placed in a suitable container or kettle, this oil being usually at a temperature not greater than that of the room in which the refiningl is conducted. Reagent is then added to the kettle, the contents thereof being vigorously agitated during this addition so that the reagent is mixed with the raw oil. Subsequent to this addition of reagent heat is applied to the kettle, the agitation being continued until the surface of the liquid shows a break, the appearance of which is readily detected by the skilled rener. This break indicates to the reflner that rening is substantially complete. If the oil is now a1- lowed to stand quiescent in the kettle or in some other container to which the oil has been transferred, the foots settle out of the oil.

Reners operating the kettle method of rening have found it advisable to use considerably more reagent than is theoretically necessary to neutralize the free fatty acid in a, certain batch of raw oil. It might be explained that, using methods well known in the art, the re'ner can determine from a small sample of raw oil the amount of impurities in the oil and can determine prior to starting the refining the amount of reagent theoretically necessary to neutralize the free fatty acid. In practice if the rener merely adds the exact theoretical amount of reagent, he nds that all the impurities are not completely removed or the oil is under refined. This is due to the fact that while the reagent has a preferential ainity for the impurities, it will also react with the oil itself to a certain extent causing a lrefining loss due to reaction with neutral oil. Considerable refining loss due to reaction with neutral oil is inevitable in kettle, refining and it represents a real monetary loss to the refiner since the foots produced by the action of the reagent on the oil itself are worth less than the oil so destroyed.

It is anbbject of the invention to provide an apparatus for refining raw oils by which the relining loss is less than that produced by the lusual kettle refining.

In kettle rening the surface of the oil is ordinarily exposed to the air andV during the agitation of the` hot oil some oxidation takes place, causing oxidation losses.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for rening raw oil in which oxidation losses are prevented.

It is at present vcommon practice to rene raw oil in batches; that is,y a body of oil is placed in a container and subjected While in the container or in other containers to which the batch is transferred to various successive steps of rening. y

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for refining raw oil in whichthe oil ows continuously through diierent chambers in each of which one or more operations are performed.

centigrade). If the oil is heated much above this temperature, the rened oil is dark in color. This darkness may be due in part to a setting of the color already in the oil; that is, to some action on the coloring matter in the oil which renders it resistant to removal. The darkness in the reiined oil may also be due to the production of oxidation or decomposition products in the body of the oil. Any such darkening of the refined oil reduces its value.

In kettle refining the renner nds it necessary Due to the fact that oxidation is prevented and v the neutralization is very rapid, it is possible to use temperatures much higher than those previously employed and in fact no injury to the oil results even though the temperature employed is far iniexc'ess of that previously considered desirable. In actual tests on cottonseed oil, which if kettle rened at temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees centigrade would produce a dark rened oil, it is found possible to use temperatures at least twice those indicated by l ordinary kettle rening practice.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for refining raw oils in which the oil may be subjected to temperatures considerably in excess of those now used in the art.

Contrary to all the teachings of the art, it is possible by the apparatus disclosed herein, using high temperatures, to reduce the color of the renedoil below the color produced in the rened oil by the best standard practice. In other words, for some reason in operating in accordance with the disclosure herein, the use of high temperatures in place of darkening the refined oil actually tends to decolorlze it. This may be due to the very rapid rate at which the rening takes place or to other causes.

It is an object of the inventionto provide an apparatus for reiining raw oils in which the oil is so treated as to improve the color of the refined oil over that produced by the processes now in usey in the art.

In kettle refining the foots are ordinarily separated from the raw oils by gravitational settling. The break relied upon by the reiiner to indicate complete refining is merely an indication that the particles of foots previously dispersed in the body of the oil have started to agglomerate into masses -of rened oil and foots is passed. In the centrifuge, due to the centrifugal force producedby the rotation of the bowl, the liquid carried therein tendstostratifmthefootsbeingthrowntothe outside, forming an outer layer of foots, and the reiined oil being forced inwardly toward the axis of the bowl, forming an inner layer of rened oil. Separate outlets are provided for these two layers and when the centrifuge is adjusted to suit the character of liquid fed thereto rened oil substantially free from foots is discharged from one outlet and foots substantially free from refined ,oil are discharged from the other outlet.

Du to the fact that when the break occurs in kettle refining the foots are distributed in the mixture of refined oil and foots in the form of visible masses, it has been found diicult to separate the foots from the oil by centrifugal separation due to the variable nature of the liquid delivered to the centrifuge. This is, of course, due to the fact that whenever a large mass of foots iiows into the centrifuge, it lls the centrilfuge, displacing the inner layer of reiined oil so that foots pass out through the refined oil outlet. l

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus in which the refined oil and foots are separated by centrifuging.

When operating upon certain oils it is desirable to providefor heating the reagent and oil before combining them. Like most chemical reactions, the action of the reagent on the impurities is rendered more rapid at higher temperatures and due to the manner in which the process is conducted, it is possible to preheat the oil and reagent before mixing them, thus intensifying the reaction after the mixing has taken place. This preheating of the oil and reagent before mixing is contrary to the teachings of the art, the kettle reiiner usually starting with a cold mixture of raw oil and reagent and gradually heating the mixture While maintaining a mild agitation.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for treating raw oil in which the oil and reagent may be heated before being. mixed.

The actual operation of the apparatus will be better understood if we consider a specific example such as the reiining of raw cottonseed oil. Such oil can be conveniently rened in the apparatus shown diagrammatically in the annexed drawing.

The apparatus consists of a proportioning device I, a reagent heater 2, a raw oil heater 3, a mixer Il,- an agglomerator 5, and a separator 6.

Cil

'I'he function of the proportioning device is to feed the raw oil and reagent to the other apparatus at constant rates which bear a deiinite proportion to each other. For example, operating on a raw oil containing by test about 2% of free fatty acids and using a solution of caustic soda in water having a specific gravity of 16 degrees Baum, this caustic soda solution may be fed into the apparatus at about 8% the rate the oil is fed. In general it may be said, the raw oil being fed into the apparatus at a denite rate, that the caustic should be simultaneously fed at a rate somewhat higher than that necessary to theoretically neutralize the impurities in the oil.

'I'he rates at which the oil and reagent are fed should each be under the control of the operator and any apparatus which will enable the operator to control the proportions of ow will be satisfactory. In the drawing the proportioning device I is shown as consisting of a reagent pump II-and a raw oil pump I2. The raw oil pump I2 is driven by a shaft I3 from any convenient source of power, not shown, and the reagent pump II is driven by a shaft Il connected to the aware? shaft I3 throughv a variable speed gear |5 the ratio of which can be varied by a lever I6.

Reagent is drawn into the reagent pump II from any convenient source of supply, not shown, through a pipe I1 and raw oil is drawn into the raw oil pump I2 from any convenient source of supply, not shown, through a pipe I8. The reagent is delivered by the reagent pump II to a pipe I9 and the raw oil is delivered to a pipe 2|).

While the drawing shows the reagent heater 2 and the oil heater 3 placed in such a position that the proportioning device I feeds cold oil to them, as far as the operation of the apparatus is concerned the reagent and oil might be heated prior to passing to the proportioning device. As a matter of convenience in operation it is perhaps better to arrange the apparatus as shown in the drawing.

The function of the reagent heater 2 is to supply heat to the reagent and the construction shown is merely a convenient form. As 'shown thereagent heater 2 consists of an outer shell 2| inside which is placed a coil 22, this coil receiving reagent from the pipe I9 and delivering it to a pipe 23. A heating medium such as hot oil, hot water, or steam is delivered to the interior of the shell 2| to the space surrounding the coil 22 through a pipe 24 having a valve 25, the cooled heating medium being Withdrawn through a pipe 26. A direct flame heater, yin which a gas flame is used to provide hot combustion gases which pass upwardly around the coil 22 and to heat the reagent therein, may be substituted if desired, or some other form of liquid heater may be used. All that is necessary is that the reagent be delivered through the pipe 23 at a constant and controlled temperature.

` The oil heater 3 may be similar to the reagent heater 2 consisting of an outer shell 3| inside which is placed a coil 32, this coil receiving raw oil from the pipe 20 and delivering it to a pipe 33. A heating medium such as hot oil, water, or steam is delivered to the interior of the shell 3| to the space surrounding the coil 32 through a pipe 34 having a valve 35, the cooled heating medium being withdrawn through a pipe 36. A direct flame heater may be substituted if desired for the specific form of reagent heater 3 shown in the drawing.

Iii

The function of the mixer 4 isto produce an intimate mixture of reagent with the oilin which the reagent'is uniformly distributed in the form of line drops as the dispersed phase of a mixture `in which the raw oil is the continuous phase.

The form shown in the drawing consists of an outer cylindrical shell or pipe 4| secured in gastight relationship (by screw threads, for example) in a fitting 42 at one end of the shell and in a fitting 43 at the other end of the pipe. The reagent inlet pipe 23 extends through the fitting 42 in gas-.tight relationship therewith and into the space inside the shell 4| concentric with theinterior thereof.

The inner end of the pipe 23 is threaded on a rod 44 which closes the end thereof. The annular space 45 between the outside of the pipe 23 and rod 44 and the inside of the shell 4| is called the mixing space. Mixtures produced in this spacel are delivered to a pipe 46 threaded in the fitting 43. The pipe 23 is provided with one or more small holes 41 through which reagent is ejected from the-interior of the pipe 23 into the mixing space 45. Since the oil is constantly being forced through this mixing space, the stream of reagent breaks up as it leaves the holes 41 into uniform dispersion of facilitated.v

une drops which are carried in the body of raw oil. The reagent in each contact at its outer surface with the oil and the reagent acts on the oil, neutralizing the impurities therein. By breaking up the reagent into a multiplicity of small drops the total interfacial contact between the outer surface of these drops and the oil is very large and rapid refining of the oil is therefore accomplished regardlessv of the temperature of the oil and reagent. It may, however, be said that the reaction is apparently quicker with hot oil and reagent than with cold.

By uniformly dispersing small drops of reagent in oil the reagent is brought into intimate contact with thev oil without the concentration of the larger masses of reagent inherent to kettle refining in which the oil is run into the kettle in a stream and tends to settle in the bottom of the kettle until picked up and broken into small masses by the agitator. The drops of reagent also have an initial movement as they leave the holes 41 and the oil itself is in motion so that each drop of reagent moves about in the body of the oil and the oil at the interfacial surface of each drop is constantly changing. As a result, the refining is not only rapid and complete, but refining losses are being able to quickly nd impurities upon which it can act so that the-relatively slow action of reagent on the oil itself is very small. By using the type of mixer shown, the renner-is able to completely rene the oil using only slightly more reagent than would be theoretically necessary and with very low refining losses.

While the specific form of mixer 4 shown in the drawing and described herein has certain marked advantages as previously pointed out, if these advantages are not desired, the functions of the mixer may be performed by any form of mechanical mixer througnwhicli the oil and reagent are passed and in which the reagent is mechanically broken up into small drops.

While the holes 41 are preferably distributed uniformly in a spiral path about the pipe 23, this is probably not essential, a single hole being sucient provided it is so placed as to produce a the reagent in the raw oil.

The purpose of heating the raw oil prior tov the introduction of the caustic therein is to promote the reaction between the reagent and the impurities and to reduce the viscosity of the oil so that the drops of reagent produced in the mixer 4 have a greater in the body of the oil during the reaction and agglomeration periods and the centrifuging is It is a well known fact that the viscosity of glyceride oilsis reduced by heating and the degree of heat used is dependent upon the viscosity-temperature characteristics of the ail. The-oil should be suniciently hot when delivered to the centrifuge 6 to permit of efficient separation,

In some cases it may be convenient to dispense 'with the reagent heater 2 and connect the pipe I9 directly to the pipe 23. Since the reagent is nely divided in the mixer 4 and introduced into the body of the oil in ne drops, the conditions for heat transfer are very good land the reagent if cold is very rapidly heated by the surrounding oil, especially if the volume of reagent is small as compared to the volume of the oil.

The primary.. vfunction of the agglomerator is to `provide means for permitting the small drops of reagent or foots to coalesce andcomdrop is, of course, in

greatly reduced, the reagent freedom of movement Ito helical coil 52 of pipe, one end of this coil 52 being connected to the pipe 46 and the other end being connected to a pipe 53. In refining certain oils it is desirable to control the temperature of the mixture while it is in the agglomerator.

A pipe 53 having a valve 54 delivers liquid into the space inside the shell i around the coil 52, this liquid being withdrawn through a pipe 55.

'I'he liquid delivered through the pipe 53 may be either a heating or cooling medium, depending upon 'the temperature of the oil owing through the pipe 45. In some cases it may be unnecessary to use either a heating or cooling medium on' the coil 52, in which case the interior of the shell may be lined or lled with heat insulating material such as loose asbestos iibers.

In the reiining of cottonseed oil having from 2% to 3% of free fatty acid excellent results are obtained if the oil is pumped through the apparatus at the rate of about sixteen pounds per minute and the agglomerator consists of from 250 to 500 feet of pipe one-half to three-fourths inch inside diameter. y

If the mixing space 45 is suiiciently long, neutralization is almost wholly completed when the oil enters the coil 52. This is not important since if it is not complete it proceeds to completion in the.upper part of `the coil 52. In any event the neutralization is Vcompleted either before the oil enters thecoil 52 pr soon thereafter.

As soon as the neutralization is complete, the drops of reagent have been converted into small particles of ioots, which in the rening of cottonseed oil appear' as loose masses of microscopic size. Some of these masses are so small that their separation from the oil is dimcult.

The agglomerator tends to coalesce these masses of foots into larger masses which is accomplished by allowing the oil to ilow with only a mild agitation through the coil 52. By making this coil of pipe bent into a continuous helix or spiral this mild agitation is produced due to the uniform and gradual change in direction of the coil. In their travel the larger masses 4of foots capture and,- agglomerate with the smaller, producing a mixture in which the foots appear as masses which are larger than the masses originally produced during neutralization, but which due to the constant motion of the oil have not been allowed to stratify or agglomerate into large masses like those seen by the kettle rener after the break. A i

It is highly desirableto prevent agitation or turbulence in the agglomerator such as would tend to break up the small masses -of roots as produced by neutralization, and it is also desirable to keep the oil in motion to prevent the oots from stratifying into masses of such size` 'that they would interfere with centrifugal separation.

y The mixture of oil and foots delivered to the pipe 53 should be in condition to be easily centrifuged, If the oil is naturally viscous at atmospheric temperatures, it should be hot enough to reduce its viscosity, and the foots should be uniformly distributed in the oil in masses of fairly uniform size, which size should be such .titles to an em that the masses separate readily from the oil during the centrifuging operation.

The function of the centrifuge 6 is to separate the foots from the oil and deliver them through a pipe 6| to suitable storage, not shown, the oil being delivered through a pipe 62 to suitable storage, not shown. Centrifuges for performing this operation are readily available, containing usually a bowl -mounted on a vertical shaft which is rotated at a high speed by an electric motor. Since such separators are old and well known, their'construction need not be described herein.

It is understood that thermometers, gauges, and other indicating devices, not shown, are supplied to enable the operator to fully determine at all times the conditions in the various pieces of apparatus, and valves and other control de vices, not shown, are supplied to enable the operator to control said conditions.

'I'he operation of the apparatus will be better understood by considering it applied to the reining of a cottonseed oil containing about 2% of free fatty acid. This oil was pumped through the apparatus at the rate of about sixteen pounds a minute. A reagent consisting of a solution of caustic soda in water was used, this reagent having aspeeiiic gravity of sixteen degrees Baum. Reagent was pumped into the mixer at the rate of about one and one-fourth pounds per minute. The coil 52 consisted of about 250 feet of threefourths inch (inside diameter) pipe and the pumps il and I2 built up a pressure of about 80 pounds per square inch. The oil and caustic wereI heated to labout 160 F. before being delivered to the mixer 4. 'Experiments indicate that considerably higher temperatures might be than the oil produced by renning the same raw oil by the best kettle rening. l

This application is a division of our copending application, Serial No. 685,130, led August 14, 1933;

By the employment of the yexpressions to "quickly preheat the oil in relatively small quanulsion breaking temperature" and quickly preheat relatively small quantities of the oil in certain of the claims, we mean to denne, embrace and be irestricted to an apparatus wherein small quantities of the oil are quickly preheated to anemulsion breaking temperature as contra-distinguished from the heating of the conventional tank of upwards to 60.000 pounds to merely a flow and not an emulsion breaking temperature as distinguished from 'the disclosure contained in the Sharples French Patent No. 743,449; but such expressionsl are not restricted necessarily to heating a stream of oil as it advances through a conduit.

And, by the use of the expressions "agglomerating member is constructed and arranged to prevent a rlsein temperature" or said heating means being isolated from said agglomerator member as employed in certain of the claims we mean to contra-distinguish the invention from apparatus wherein the agglomerator is heated after the emulsion has been broken as exemplied in the Sharples French Patent No. 743,449.

What we claim is: 1. An apparatus for the rening of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a receptacle for containing an admixture of a rening reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; a conduit connecting the receptacle with the centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to discharge a stream of said admixture through said conduit to said centrifugal separator under super-atmospheric pressure; a conduit for supplying a stream of oil to said receptacle for admixture with said refining reagent; heating means, said heating means being constructed and arranged to heat the last-named conduit whereby to preheat the stream of oil passing through said last-named conduit before the same is admixed with said refining reagent to a temperature suiiiciently high to break any emulsion which may exist as a result of said admixture, whereby to condition the admixture for the act of centrifugal separation.

2. An apparatus for the rening of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a receptacle for containing an admixture of a reiining reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; a conduit connecting the receptacle with the centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to discharge a stream of said admixture through said conduit to said centrifugal separator under super-atmospheric pressure; a plurality of conduits connected with said receptacle for continuously introducing the oil and refining reagent thereto; heating means, said heating means being constructed and arranged to apply heat to at least one of said last-named conduits whereby to preheat the. stream flowing therethrough sulciently high to break any emulsion which may exist as a result of the said admixture of said streams, whereby to immediately condition the admixture for the act of centrifugal separation.

3. An apparatus for the reining of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a receptacle for containing an admixture of a rening reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; a conduit connecting the receptacle with the centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to discharge a` stream of said admixture through said conduit to said centrifugal separator under super-atmospheric pressure; a conduit of restricted cross sectional dimensions connected with said receptacle; pumping means adapted to rapidly force a small stream of oil through said last-named conduit and introduce the same to said receptacle; heating means, said heating means being constructed and arranged to apply heat to said last-named conduit suiiicient to elevate the temperature of the oil passing therethrough to break any emulsion which may exist as the result of the admixture of the rening reagent and said oil, whereby to condition 31e admixture for the act of centrifugal separa- 4. An apparatus for the rening of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a receptacle for containing an admixture of a retining reagent and said oils; a mechanical agitator disposed therein; a centrifugal separator; a conduit connecting the receptacle with the centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to discharge a stream of said admixture through said conduit to said centrifugal separator under superatmospheric pressure; a conduit for continuously advancing a stream of oil to said receptacle; heating means,' said heating means being constructed and arranged to apply heat to said lastnamed conduit sulcient to elevate the temperature of the oil passing therethrough to break any emulsion which may exist as aresult of said admixture of the refining reagent and said oil,

whereby to condition the admixture for the act I of centrifugal separation.

5. An apparatus for the refining of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a receptacle for containing an admixture of a reining reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; a conduit connecting the receptacle with the centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to discharge a stream of said admixture through said conduit to said centrifugal separator under super-atmospheric pressure; pipes connected to said receptacle; metering pumps for forcing, under 'super-atmospheric pressure, streams of oil and a refining reagent respectively through said pipes to said receptacles, heating means adjacent at least one of said pipes, said heating means being constructed and arranged to ing reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator;

a conduit constituting an agglomerator connecting said receptacle to said centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to advance a stream of said admixture through said conduit to said centrifugal separator under super-atmospheric pressure, said conduit being of suiiicient length to provide for the agglomeration of color impurities and foots therein; means for continuously advancing a stream of oil to said receptacle; heating means, said heating means being constructed and arranged to apply heat to the last mentioned means suicient to elevate the temperature of the oil owing therethrough to break any emulsion which may exist as a result of admixture of the thus preheated oil with the refining reagent, whereby to condition the admixture for the act of centrifugal separation.

7. An apparatus for the refining of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a receptacle for containing an admixture of a rening reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; a Vconduit constituting an agglomerator connect- Aing said receptacle to said centrifugal separator;

.perature of the admixture passing through said conduit; means for continuously advancing a stream of oil to said receptacle; heating means,

lsaid heating means being constructed and arranged to apply heat to the last mentioned means sufficient to elevate the temperature of the oil owing therethrough to break any emulsion which may exist as a result of admixture of the thus preheated oil with the rening reagent,

' whereby to conditionv the admixture for the act of centrifugal separation. I

8. An apparatus for the refining of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a

receptacle for containing an admixture of a renng reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; a conduit constituting an agglomerator connecting said receptacle to said centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to advance a stream of said admixture through said conduit to said centrifugal separator under super-atmospheric pressure, said conduit being of suiiicient length to provide for the agglomeration of color impurities and foots therein; means for adjusting the temperature of the admixture passing through said conduit by cooling said conduit; means for continuously advancing, a stream ofr oil to said receptacle; heating means, said heating means being constructed and arranged to apply heat to the last mentioned means sufficient to elevate the temperature of the oil flowing therethrough to break any emulsion which may exist as a result of admixture of the thus preheated oil with the rening reagent, whereby to condition the admixture for the act of centrifugal separation.

9. An apparatus for the continuous refining of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, a receptacle for containing an admixture of a 'refining reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; a conduit connecting the receptacle with the centrifugal separator; pumping means adapted to advance a stream of the admixture through the conduit to said centrifugal separator under super-atmospheric pressure sufiicient to avoid stratication; a conduit for supplying a stream of oil to said receptacle'for admixture with said refining reagent; heating means, said heating means being constructed and arranged to quickly preheat the oil in relatively small quantities to an emulsion breaking temperature, without setting the color thereof, prior to the admixtu're of the preheated oil with the 'refining reagent whereby to opposethe formation of an inseparable water-in-oil emulsion during said admixing and to condition the admixture for the subsequent act of centrifugal separation.

10. An apparatus for the continuous refining of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, mixing means for forming an admixture of a rening reagent and said oils; a centrifugal separator; an agglomera.tingn1ember interposed between the mixing means and the centrifugal separator for agglomerating the foots resulting from said admixing; a conduit for supplying a stream of oil to said mixing means and a conduit for supplying a stream of the rening reagent to the mixing means; pumps for advancing properly proportioned predetermined and trifugally inseparable, water-in-oil emulsion during. said admixing, whereby to condition the admixture for the act of centrifugal separation. v

11. 'I'he combination as expressed in claim 10 in which the agglomerating member is constructed and arranged to prevent a rise in temperature as the admixture passes ,therethrough in its transit to the centrifugal separator.

12. An apparatus for the refining of animal and vegetable oils comprising, in combination, means for receiving streams of oil and a rening reagent; a centrifugal separator; an agglomerating member interposed between said means and said centrifugal separator; conduits for supplying streams of oil and refining reagent to said means in metered, predetermined and constant ratios; heating means, said heating means being constructed and arranged to preheat the oil before admixture with the refining reagent to a temperature at least sufcient to permit saidoil to ow through said conduit for admixture with said refining reagent, said heating means being isolated from said agglomerating member whereby to prevent the application of heat to the admixture as the same passes through said agglomerating member and is conditioned for centrifugal separation.

' BENJAMIN CLAYTON.

WALTER B. KERRICK. HENRY M. STADT. Y BENJAMIN H. THURMAN. 

